Demon Core: The 6.2 Kilogram Sphere That Killed Its Masters

In the labs of Los Alamos, after the bombs fell on Japan, one plutonium core remained. The scientists called it "Rufus," but history remembers it as the Demon Core. It was a perfect sphere of death that tolerated no mistakes. Yet, the brilliant physicists played with it, tickling the dragon's tail with nothing but a screwdriver and steady hands.

This book chronicles the chilling true stories of Harry Daghlian and Louis Slotin, who both died triggering the core's blue flash of criticality. It...